Scanner Radio
How to use the scanner
Listen to live and archived radio traffic, browse calls, and follow along with the transcript for each call.
Choose what to hear
- Live mode
- When Live mode is on, the scanner immediately jumps to each new call as soon as it comes in. Click LIVE to turn Live mode on when you want to follow current traffic.
- Day
- Use the date picker in the upper-right corner to choose a live day or an archived day.
- Older calls
- To listen to older calls without being pulled back to the present, turn Live mode off before browsing or playing them.
- Call
- The current call shows its source, unit, time, transcript, and playback position in the main display.
Playback and navigation
- Play / Pause
- Start or pause the selected call’s audio.
- Previous / Next
- Move through the calls for the selected day.
- Timeline
- Click or tap the timeline to jump to another point in the day and select a call.
- Call list
- Tap a talkgroup or call marker to select it. The selected item is shown in the main display.
Talkgroup control
- First tap
- Tap a talkgroup once to hold it. The scanner will listen only to that frequency, and its outline changes to amber to show that it is being held.
- Second tap
- Tap the same talkgroup a second time to lock it out. The scanner will stop playing that frequency, and its outline changes to red.
- Clear a lockout
- Tap a red talkgroup again to remove its lockout. When using one talkgroup, the overall cycle is Hold → Lockout → Clear.
- Multiple lockouts
- You can lock out multiple talkgroups at once. Once lockout mode is active, tap additional talkgroups to add them, or tap a red talkgroup to remove its lockout.
- Clear
- Clear all holds and lockouts and return to monitoring all talkgroups.
- Auto Next
- When enabled, the scanner moves to the next call chronologically after the current call. Disable it to stay on the current call instead of advancing automatically.
- Collapse
- Use the arrow in the Talkgroup Control header to make more room for the main display.
Call details
- Transcript
- The transcript appears below the call source and unit to make the radio traffic easier to follow along with.
- Map
- When an address or location is detected, tap the location icon to open it in the available maps application or web map.
- Share
- Tap the share icon to share a link to the selected call when sharing is supported by your device or browser.
- Emergency indicator
- An emergency dispatch indicator may appear below the main display. Its color changes based on how long it has been since the call. Use its arrow to expand or collapse the message.
Other controls
- Fullscreen
- Tap the fullscreen icon in the upper-right corner for a larger scanner view. Browser permission may require a direct tap.
- Reports
- The reports icon opens the public call reports in a separate tab.
If audio does not start
Some browsers block audio until you interact with the page. Tap Play, and check that the device is not muted and that the browser tab has permission to play sound.